Sheet handling apparatus



Oct. 15, 1940. HOPKINS SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS I 4 Sheets-Sheet i Original Filed Aug. 27, 1958 VENTOR 1 lllil ffld Lmw. J 1 J 1 Kw K umwk Qh G Am QQ Nm NR mu Oct. 15, 1940-.

L. HOPKINS SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed g- 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Oct. 15, 1940. HOPKINS SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 27, 1938 4 Sheets-Shee;t 3

rlllll/llf/l/ A TTORNEY.

L. HOPKINS Oct 15, 1940.

SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 27, 1

Sheets-Sheet 4 I ll , INVEN BY J mm, ATTORNEY.

I Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original application August 2'7, 1938, Serial No. 227,145. Divided and this application June 9,

1939, Serial No. 278,232

6 Claims.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 227,145, filed August 27,- 1938 (now Patent No. 2,162,580) and the invention relates to apparatus whereby metal sheets or the like can be removed one-by-one from a stack and sorted, the invention being useful in the feeding of sheets'one-by-one to rolls, or simply as a sorting device whereby sheets which are stuck together can be'discarded and the other sheets dei posited on conveyors or the like.

One object of my invention is. to provide means for efiectively removing sheets one-by-one from a stack, even though there is tendency of the sheets to adhere together through atmospheric pressure or otherwise.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved means for feeding sheets one-by-one from a stack.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for automatically throwing out or discarding sheets which adhere together during the removal of the sheets from astack.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of generally simplified and improved form which will operate rapidly and effectively in the feeding or sorting of sheets.

Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line HI--III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken on the line IV-,IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view taken on the 2., line VV of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional detailed view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal view through one of the separating devices for the marginal edges of the sheets; Fig. 8 is a view taken on the .line VIIIVIII of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a'view showing the device of Fig. 7 in operating position; Fig. 10 is a plan view of the separating blade of Fig. '7, and Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the control mechanism for various operating parts of the machine.

As shown in Fig. 1, a framework l5 has journailed thereon idler rollers l6 along which packs of sheets I! are moved to bring'the pack into position above a table IS. The table l8 at its 50 comers carries'depending posts l9 which telescopically fit within upright guide members-20.

A screw jack 2| engages the underside of the table at its central portion, so that the table and the pack carried thereby can be raised step-by- 'step during removal of the sheets from the pack,

as hereinafter described. The nut 22 which engages with a jack screwv carries a bevel gear wheel 23 with which a pinion 24 meshes. The pinion 24 is mounted on a shaft 25 which carries at its outer end a pinion 26 that meshes with a 5 gear wheel 21, the gear Wheel being provided with a handle 28 by which it may be manually turned to initially raise the tableand thereby slightly lift the pack H from the rollers l6.

A series of blades or edge separating devices 1 are provided alongside each edge of the pack, in position to operate on the topmost sheet of the pack. These separating devices are designated generally by the numeral 29 and are shown more clearly in detail in. Figs, '7 to 10. Each of the separating devices 29 is mounted upon a; bar 30 which in turn is adjustably secured to the framework of the machine for adjustment toward and away from the edges of the pack, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. Each device is mounted upon a supporting plate 3| which is pivotally connected at 32 to the bar 30. An adjustable stop screw 33 is provided for efiecting proper alignment between the device and a pack, a spring 34 serving to yieldably hold the separating device against the stop screw.

The members 29 are all of similar construction and a detailed description of one will suflice for all. A hollow block 35 is secured to the plate 3| and is provided with a removable cap plate 36. A slide block 31 is movable longitudinally within the block and carries a blade 38 having a sharpened nose portion or knife edge 39, that is adapted to be moved beneath the topmost sheet of a pack. A roller 40 is journalled in an arm 35 41 carried by the block 31 and which is pivotally mounted at 42. The roller 40 is positioned slightly in advance of the knife 39 so that when the block 31 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 7 toward that shown in Fig. 9, the roller will 40 first engage the top of the pack and thereafter theblade 39 will pass beneath the top sheet, moving the same to the position shown in Fig. 9.

In the position shown in Fig. 7, the roller is rigidly held against raising movement on its piv- 5 ot, by means of the cap 35; If the vertical position of the roller is such with respect to the top of the pack that there will be tendency for the roller to be raised slightly as it moves onto the pack, the bracket 3i will be tilted slightly up- .wardly about its pivot 32 and against the tension of spring 34. There need not therefore be very precise initial alignment of the separating device with the top sheet. The spacing between the roller and the knife edge 39 is equal to the thickness of one sheet. In the position shown in Fig, 9, the arm 4| that carries the roller is clear of the cover plate 36, so that when the top sheet is raised, as hereinafter explained, the roller can swing upwardly around its pivot to be thereby disengaged from the sheet.

The vertical spacing between the roller 48 an the knifeedge 39 is adjusted to correspond with the different sheet gauges, by an eccentric 43 upon which the roller 88 is mounted. Rotative adjustment of the eccentric 43 will, of course, raise or lower the roller relative to the knife blade. An extended hub of the cam is threaded to receive a nut 44 to clamp it in adjusted positions, the other end of the hub having a squared shank 45 which can be turned by a wrench.

When the blades are entering beneath the top sheet of a pack, blasts of air are introduced through the blades and beneath the sheet to assist in separating the sheets and to eliminate suction which may result when the top sheet is lifted as will be hereinafter described. To this end, the knives are provided with passageways 45 that discharge at the forward edges of the knives and at their rear ends communicate with ports 41 that have constant communication with passageways 48 formed in the slide blocks 81. A pipe 49, to which air under pressure is supplied, communicates with each passageway 48, the side walls of the hollow blocks 35 having longitudinal slots formed to permit movement of the pipes 49 with the slide blocks 37. Each slide 31 is reciprocated by a piston contained within an air cylinder 58, fluid pressure being admitted and exhausted at the opposite sides of the piston through pipe connections and 52.

A cross head 55 isprovided at each end with slide blocks which are vertically movable in guide ways 55 carried by the stationary framework. The cross head is vertically supported by a pair of connecting rods 51 that are hung from crank arms 58 which are formed on a crank shaft'58, the crank shaft 59 being iournalled in bearings 88 that are mounted upon cross-beams ii. The crank shaft carries a gear wheel 82 that has meshed engagement with a rank bar 88 formed on the end of a piston rod, that is connected to a piston within a cylinder 64, fluid pressure being admitted through pipes 55 and 88 to the opposite ends of the cylinder to effect actuation of the crank shaft 59. The cranks 58 are moved downwardly thereby moving the cross head 55 downwardly, while admission of fluid pressure to the opposite end of the cylinder will effect raising movement of the cross head.

Four pairs of vacuum cups 8! are provided. Each pair of cups is mounted on extensions of a yoke 88 which has its legs extending upwardly through guide brackets 88 that are secured to the sides of the cross head. Springs 18 surround the legs of the endmost yokes and rest upon the tops of the brackets 69 that are carried by the cross head, the springs engaging nuts on said legs, so that the yokes are yieldably urged upwardly. The yokes are all connected in unitary relation by a pipe ll, so that they move as a unit and the intermediate yokes have gauge nuts I! threaded thereon to positively limit downward movements of the yokes relative to the cross head 55. Those extensions of the yokes that carry the cups 5! are hollowland communicate with the cups and the. pipe 1 When the cross head 55 is moved downwardly to bring the cups 61, into engagement with the top sheet of a pack. compressive movement of the cups will cause the air. to be forced therefrom beneath the edges of the cups. A check valve I3 (Fig. 6) is provided in the base of the cups to prevent the air within the cups from being forced back into the bores of the yoke in the pipe 1|, during application of the cups to the top sheet.

After the cups have been applied to a sheet, as above described, the cranks 58 are actuated to raise the cross head 55 and the top sheet which will adhere to the cups 61 by atmospheric pressure. Owing to the inertia of the sheet and the A vacuum cups, together with their yokes, springs 18 will be compressed somewhat during the initial stages of upward movement, the limit nuts 12 on the top of the intermediate yoke legs serving to positively limit the extent to which the springs 18 will be compressed. After the sheet has been completely lifted or pulled away from the pack and the inertia of the parts overcome, the cups and the sheet will be supported entirely by the springs 18, the stop nuts 12 then being clear of the cross head 55.

During the remainder of upward travel of the cross head 55,.the sheet is fweighedf so that if two sheets stick together, the weight will be such' as to automatically discharge the sheet in one direction, while if a single sheet of proper weight is being raised by the cups, it will be automatically discharged in a direction to be fed to rolls. This weighing mechanism, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, comprises a rack bar 15 which is secured to the pipe 1| and extends upwardly through the cross head 55, and is vertically guided in a bracket 16 carried by the cross head. A pinion 11 is secured to a shaft 18 which is journalled on the bracket 16, and the shaft 18 carries a switch-operating arm 19 that during movement of the shaft will actuate control switches 80 and 81. Normally the arm 18 maintains the switch 88 to closed position. Upon starting of raising movement by the crank arms 58, the cross head 55 will first move upward slightly without corresponding upward. movement by the cups, with the result that the rack 15 rotates the pinion 11 to cause the arm 19 to release the switch 88 and close the switch 8i. If but one sheet is being raised by the cups at this time, the springs will have sufficient force to raise the vacuum cups and the single sheet toward the cross head 55, whereby the rack is shifted upwardly relative to the cross head, thus rotating the pinion l5 and swinging the arm back to its normal position where it closes the switch 80. Upon further movement of the cross head in its upward travel, the sheet is raised above the plane of take-out conveyors 88, which as hereinafter described, are swung into position beneath the sheet to receive it when it is released from the cups.

Near the end of the upper travel of the cross head, the stem of a valve 88 carried by the cross head, engages a stop 85, which opens the valve and admits atmospheric air through a pipe 85 that is connected to the pipe H and thus relieves the vacuum within the cups and permits the sheet to drop upon the conveyors.

The conveyors 82 are disposed adjacent to the path of vertical travel of the sheet. Each conveyor comprises a series of rollers 81 journalled in a channel bar 88, the bars 88 being carried on swinging arms 88 that are hung on rods 88; the rods in turn, at their ends, are supported in brackets 9 l, the brackets being slidably supported on cross rods 92 that are secured to the frame work of the machine. 'Ihebrackets iii are keyed against rotating movement on the rods 92, as shown in Fig. 4, and are adjustable longitudinally of the rods 92, being fastened at set positions thereon by set screws 93. The shafts of the rollers 81 have drive connection through bevel gear wheels 94 with a shaft 95, which shaft is journailed in the bearings formed in the bracket 89. The shafts 95 carry sprocket wheels 98 which are driven from a sprocket 91 that is formed unitarily with a sprocket 98. The sprocket 98 has drive-chain connection with a sprocket 99 that is formed unitarily with a sprocket I99, the sprocket I99 having drive-chain connection with a sprocket IN on the shaft of a motor I92. The

motor I92 is provided with an internal gear-re- The unitarily-formedment of the cross head, fluid pressure is admitted to the upper ends of the cylinders I98 to cause the brackets 89 to be swung to the position shown in Fig. 1, with the rollers in position to receive the sheet when it is dropped from thecups. This movement of the conveyor 82 to sheet-receiving position is effected by means of timing mechanism which controls raising of the cross head 55 and which also controls operation of the knife devices 38. I

The timing mechanism is shown in Fig. 11 and comprises a motor-driven timer having a plurality of cams which operate fluid pressure control valves I 91 to H3 inclusive. When the parts are in position for descendingmovement of the cross head to effect engagement by the vacuum cups with the top sheet of a pack, the valve I91 will be in open position admitting fluid pressure from the line H4 through a pipe II5 to the lower sides of the cylinders I98, thus holding the arms 89 and the conveyor. rollers 81 in their outermost positions. Similarly, the knife members 38 are held in their retracted positions, because the valve I98 is in open position, admitting fluid pressure from the line I I4 through the pipe 52 to the outer end of the cylinder 59, the air supply for the blast orifices of the knives being closed at valve I99. At this time the valve H9 is open to atmosphere and the'valve III opened by its cam to pressure line II4, thus admitting pressure through the pipe 88 to the cylinder 84 and causing the rack and pinion to be actuated to rock the crank shaft 59 so as to lower the cross head and the vacuum cups, the exhaust from the cylinder occurring at this time through the pipe 85. At about the time that the cross head has reached the limit of its downward movement, the

valve I98 is closed, by its cam, to line pressure and opened to atmosphere, while the valve H2 is opened by its timer cam to the line pressure from I I4 so that the pistons within the cylinders 59 are actuated to move the rollers 49 and the knives 38 toward the pack. As the knives begin to penetrate beneath the top sheet, the valve I99 is actuated by its cam to establish communication from the line 4 to the pipe leading to the line 49 and to the interior of the knives, so as to provide the separating blast of airv beneath the top sheet, as heretofore referred to.

At this time valve H9 is open to line pressure so that such pressure is admitted to the front end of cylinder 84 to effect reverse movement to the crank shaft 59 and raising of the cross-head 55. At the time the sheet has been thus lifted completely off the stack, the valve' I99 is closed to cut oil flow of air to the interior of the knives. The knives during the early stages of raising movement of the sheet, are retained in their projected position to hold the next succeeding sheet of the pack down. After the top sheet has been lifted clear of the stack, the valve H2 is opened to atmosphere and the valve I98 is opened to line pressure,-so as to direct fluid pressure to the front side of the cylinders 59 and retract the knives.

During this raising movement of the cross head 55 and after the sheet has been raised above the plane of the conveyors 82, valve I9! is openedto atmosphere and valve II 3 opened to line pressure, so as to admit fluid pressure to the upper sides of the cylinders I98 and thereby rock the shafts 99, thus swinging the arms 89 and the rollers 81 to the positionshown in Fig. 2 where they can receive the sheet which is released, as heretofore described.

A switch I29 is supported in the path of movement of the rack bar 83, whereupon during'lowering movement of the cross head, the switch will be engaged by the rack bar and held in open position. During raising movement of the cross head, the switch I29 is released by the rack bar 83 and thereupon closes under spring pressure, thus establishing a point in the circuitfor the motors I92. 'At this time if there is only a single sheet held by the cups, the arm 19 will maintain the switch 89 in closed position, as above explained (because the springs 79 will have sufllcient expansive force to support the sheet), and the circuit being completed through the switch I29 will 0" Lse energizationof the coil .I2I of a reversing switch I22, whereupon the circuit for the motors I92 is completed and the said motors will, through the drive connections, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, effect rotation of the rollers 81 and discharge of the sheet through takeout rollers I24. Upon beginning of the next downward movement of the cross head, the

switch I29 will be opened, thus causing stopping by the suction cups during upward movement of the cross head, the weight thereof will hold the springs I9 compressed and the arm I9 consequently held in position to maintain the switch 8i closed (the switch I29 being closed during this upward movement, as above explained). A circuit will consequently be completed through the of the motors I92. If there are two'sheets held coil I 25 of the reversing switch I22, whereupon I the motors I92 will be driven in the opposite direction and the conveyor rollers'81. therefore op- I erated in a direction to discard the sheets to takeout rolls I28.

Upon each operation of the piston within the cylinder 84, an extension I21 which has connecthat is journalled in a bracket I32. The pawl arm I39 carries a pawl I39 which engages a ratchet wheel I34 secured to the shaft I3I. The

' shaft I3I carries a bevel gear I35 which drives a bevel gear wheel I38, that is secured to the shaft 25. Upon each retractive movement of the piston in the cylinder 84 and the. rack bar 83, the

bell crank I28 is swung to effect slight rotatlve tion with the piston in the cylinder 84, engagesmovement of the shaft through the connections just described, and hence rotation of the nut 22 of the screw jack, thereby raising the pack slightly so that the underside of the top sheet will be brought to the plane in which the knives 38 operate. After removal of all of the sheets of a pack, the, table can be quickly returned to its lower position by unlatching the pawl 133 and turning the gear wheel 21 to lower the jack.

The apparatus can be adjusted to stacks of various widths, by longitudinal adjustment of the bars on their supports, toward and away from the edges of the pack, and by similarly adjusting the brackets 9| on the rods 92.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with the motor-driven timer in constant operation, the apparatus will automatically move through repeated cycles of operation, and during each cycle of operation will efiect separation and lifting of the top sheets from thepacks, and when a sheet has been fully raised, the discharge conveyor 82 will be brought into position beneath the sheet,

. whereupon the sheet will be released and the conveyor set in motion to discharge the sheet. If two sheets are stuck togetherythe additional weight on the lifting elements will be such as to cause the conveyor to discard such sheets in the opposite direction. Upon discharging of either one sheet or two sheets which are stuck together, the cycle of operations will be automatically repeated. The properly separated sheets which are discharged between the rolls I24 can be advanced by other rolls or conveyor mechanism to rolls where a cold rolling operation is performed thereon, the apparatus thus serving not only as a sheet separating and sorting device, but as a feeder for cold rolls.

I claim as my inventioni I 1. Sheet handling apparatus comprising a suction device engageable with the'top or a pile of sheets and movable vertically therefrom to raise the topmost sheet, means effective to release the sheet thus raised, means for causing movement of the released sheet laterally in one direction from its elevated position, and means operable through the imposition of weight substantially in excess or the weight of a single sheet upon said device, and energized during upward movement of the device, for discharging the released sheet in another direction.

2. Sheet handling apparatus comprising vacuum cups reciprocable vertically above a sheet pack and movable into engagement with successive top sheets of the pack, means for relieving the vacuum in the cups when they have reached their upper limit of travel, a conveyor for receiving the sheets when they are released from the cups and moving them in one direction, and means actuated through the presence of excess weight of sheets on the cups for effecting operation of the conveyor in the opposite direction.

. 3. Sheet handling apparatus comprising a vertically movable cross head, vacuum cups supported thereby in depending positions, whereby they may be moved against the top of a pack of sheets upon downward movement of the cross head, springs for normally supporting the cups upon the cross head and of suiiicient stiiiness to support the cups and the sheet carried thereby, stop members for limiting the extent to which the cups will be moved against compression of the springs during the initial stage of removing the top sheet from the pack, means operable at the end oi. the upward travel 01 the cross head for relieving the vacuum in the cups, a conveyor for receiving a sheet released by the cups and discharging it in one direction, and means operable through excess weight of sheets on the cups and abnormal compression of said springs, for effecting discharge of the sheets in another direction upon release thereof by the vacuum cups.

4. Sheet handling apparatus comprising vacuum cups arranged to engage the topmost sheet of a pack, means for vertically reciprocating said cups, means for automatically relieving the vacuum within the cups when they'are adjacent to their upward limit of movement, conveyor devices movable laterally ot the path of vertical movement by the cups, means actuated through said movement 01' the cups for bodily moving the conveyors into and out of position to receive sheets released by the cups, and means operable automatically to cause sheets of one weight to be discharged in one direction by the conveyor and sheets of a diflerent weight to be discharged in another direction.

-5. Sheet handling apparatus comprising vacuum cups arranged to engage the topmost sheet of a pack and to support the same in a horizontal plane when raised, means for vertically reciprocating said cups, means for automatically relieving the vacuum within the cups when they are adjacent to their upward limit of movement, conveyor devices movable laterally of the path of vertical movement by the cups, means actuated through said movement of the cups for bodily moving the conveyors into and out of position to receive sheets released by the cups, and means actuated through variations in the weight of sheets, for controlling the direction of conveying movement by the conveyors.

6. Sheet handling apparatus comprising a suction device, means for lowering said device to effect engagement thereof with a sheet, means for raising the said device, means actuated through variations in the weights of the sheets,

during lifting movement thereof, for preselecting 5 the direction of discharge oi the sheets when released by the suction device, means adjacent to the uppermost point of lifting movement, for releasing the sheet from said device, and means for effecting movement of the sheet in the preselected direction.

LLEWEILYN HOPKINS. 

